Australia's Sport and Recreation sector involved over 11,000 businesses and produced goods and services valued at around $12 billion, according to a report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today.

The report highlighted that this sector contributed at least 1.2 per cent to the nation's gross domestic product, about the same as Australia's motor vehicle manufacturing industry.

Sport and Recreation: A Statistical Overview, Australia is the first report to bring together both the economic and the social aspects of the sport and recreation sector, giving a comprehensive picture of the size, value and social importance of the industry.

Some highlights include:

In 1996 there were more than 217,000 people employed in sport and recreation as their main job;

Spectators - over 44 per cent of people had been to watch at least one sporting event in the 12 months to March 1995;

In 1995-96 exports of sport and recreation goods amounted to $358 million while the corresponding value of imports was $970 million;

Participation - almost one-third of Australian's 15 years of age and over are involved in sport, either as players or non-players, while children's participation in sport (outside of school hours) is about twice the adult rate (62 per cent); and,

Expenditure - during 1993-94, Government outlays on sport and recreation exceeded $2,000 million and spending by households was over $6,000 million.

Some of the other topics covered in the overview include; volunteers for sport and recreation organisations, time spent on sport and recreation activities, manufacturing and retailing of sport and recreation goods and construction of recreational facilities as well as the size and value of the sector.

The breadth of topics included make this 96 page report an essential reference for anyone with an interest in sport and recreation statistics.

Sport and Recreation: A Statistical Overview, Australia (cat. no. 4156.0) is available from ABS Bookshops.

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